Many aspects of Radio 1190, a station affiliated with the University of Colorado, are deserving of praise: its commitment to promoting interesting concerts in Denver and Boulder; the presence of specialty shows such as a.side//b.side, which celebrates the art of the mix tape; and an unpolished but compelling style that's much more stimulating than the stuff pumped out by its corporate competitors. The main draw, though, is the music. Staffers are students of sound who seek out the best of contemporary indie rock, hip-hop and more, and they're not shy about sharing. At Radio 1190, learning is fun-damental.

Metro boosters keep fretting that the rest of the world doesn't really understand Denver. Outsiders see those nice pictures of Aspen, and they assume this city's in the mountains, too. Or they watch all the coverage of Colorado's assorted sex-assault scandals -- the Air Force Academy, Kobe Bryant, CU recruiting -- and they assume that topography isn't the only thing elevated here. (Colorado: What happens here stays in the national news for years to come.) Isn't it about time to mix those two not entirely incorrect assumptions together with our one tried-and-true, if unofficial, slogan -- "The Mile High City" -- for a brand that's fun, friendly and just a bit frisky?

Metro boosters keep fretting that the rest of the world doesn't really understand Denver. Outsiders see those nice pictures of Aspen, and they assume this city's in the mountains, too. Or they watch all the coverage of Colorado's assorted sex-assault scandals -- the Air Force Academy, Kobe Bryant, CU recruiting -- and they assume that topography isn't the only thing elevated here. (Colorado: What happens here stays in the national news for years to come.) Isn't it about time to mix those two not entirely incorrect assumptions together with our one tried-and-true, if unofficial, slogan -- "The Mile High City" -- for a brand that's fun, friendly and just a bit frisky?

Tom Clark, head of the Chamber of Commerce's new eco-devo unit, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, isn't all about numbers. He can rock and roll, too, as evidenced by his song "Branding," performed by his band, TC and the Destroyers (celebrity edition), at Denver 360, the city's summit on marketing in February:

Tom Clark, head of the Chamber of Commerce's new eco-devo unit, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, isn't all about numbers. He can rock and roll, too, as evidenced by his song "Branding," performed by his band, TC and the Destroyers (celebrity edition), at Denver 360, the city's summit on marketing in February:

When you're a tiny town in the least-populated county in Colorado, you have to make the most of what you have. And for Lake City, that's not just spectacular scenery. It's Lake City's most notorious short-term resident, Alfred Packer, the "Colorado Cannibal" charged with eating five of his traveling companions while stranded on Slumgullion Pass in 1874. The truth of that tale -- like the correct spelling of Packer's first name -- is still a matter of some dispute. But slap Packer's glum mug on a T-shirt over the slogan "Eat Your Heart Out!," as Lake City has just done, and throw an Alferd Packer Days festival complete with skull-throwing and "mystery meat" barbecue -- and you've got a marketing campaign that tourists will eat right up. The rest is history.